What You Need to Know Before Hiring Models

It would be gravelly cliché to say that professional models uare conventionally attractive. While attraction is more often than not attributed to physical appearance, professionalism goes beyond physical charm. Just ask an agency with models for hire.

Don’t take my word for it, but here are some facts…

A recent publication by the Harvard Business Review revealed that the corporate marketing world is changing. The advent of digital marketing has opened up a whole new dimension of reaching out to customers.

Companies are now focusing on inbound marketing techniques rather than the traditional outbound, door to door marketing.

What’s one way of doing this? It might not be top of the list during a boardroom presentation by the marketing department, but it’s most certainly in the top three; hiring professional models to push sales.

Hiring professional models is not just about making calls and looking at portfolios. Nobody knows this better than the models themselves

A decade or so ago, the road to becoming a professional model was clearly defined. Find an agent, have the looks, attitude, and vigor, and if you are lucky, work your way up to the mainstream. Today, finding models for hire has taken on a different meaning.

What’s changed?

There are three things.

Social Media

A proven track record, business contacts, and experience have all been replaced by page likes, your number of followers, retweets, and comments. Let’s face it; social media-based models are making a killing out there featuring products for companies. With enough followers on your Instagram page, you could be paid thousands of dollars to advertise the new strapless bra or slimming tea on your page. This was the work of agencies and professional models a decade ago.

Looks Only Go So Far

As mentioned earlier, corporations while hiring professional models no longer go for just the hottest model. There is more to it than just the model’s headshot. Confidence, poise, allure, how good you can conceal your flaws… all these come into play in the modern day modeling industry.

Technology

Technology is becoming even the more affordable, accessible and easier to use by the day. Sure, you might have access to the best photographers with lenses the size of an elephant’s snout. If the same job can be done by my camera phone at a makeshift downtown studio apartment, why bother? The fact is that some professional models carry their portfolios with them; on their phone! It’s not that hard to secure gigs nowadays. Connecting with modeling agencies is now easier than ever.

Professional Models and Modeling Agencies

Almost any other professional in any career field is attached to at least one professional organization. There’s simply no separating agency from professionals. Same thing applies to professional models. A lot has changed over the years with regard to agents and professional models including the way to scout models.

According to Forbes, modeling agents have changed the way they scout for models. Auditioning is being phased out by dynamism in the industry. Here’s how the 21st-century scouting works

The Eight Things Modeling Agencies Look At While Scouting for Models

Instagram Account

If you are a model at any level, from amateur to professional and do not own an Instagram account, you are living in your own cocoon of a world. A simple hashtag can launch your career. Modeling agents will scout for models on Instagram, key word being WILL.

And it’s not just about having an account with six digit followers. We are talking clean, classy, professional and fun accounts. A potential recruiting agent will know a lot about you by simply going through your profile.

Professionalism

Appearance makes up just a slice of a model’s career. The lion’s share goes to professionalism and the ability to appear classy, collected and focused. Models that take their talent professionally are handled as professionals by professionals and their careers take off easier than the not so serious ones.

Natural beauty

Modeling agencies ask for amateur photos while recruiting. No filters or Photoshop. There is even no need to hire expensive professional photographers. The further a model is from fake the higher the chances of being taken up by modeling agencies.

The thing is, some corporate entities are very preferential and a model that is flexible and can rise to any occasion becomes more sought after.

Confidence and Personality

Modeling agencies rarely recruit the meek and shy. This boils down to personality as it’s hard living a double life while in the modeling industry. Extroverts are more likely to be successful since confidence for them comes naturally. You could, however, be reserved in real life, but when the lights come on, you’d better be ready. Watch any experienced trade show model work a conference and you will understand what confidence looks like.

Age

Well, age might be just but a number, but in modeling, you’d be foolhardy to follow that saying. If you haven’t resolved to be a model by the time you hit 22, you’d better rethink your priorities. While scouting for professional models, the apt age is not less than 15 and not more than 22.

Formidability

It’s hard to make it in the business if you don’t have a thick skin. Models are pre-judged, unfairly criticized, more often than not told they are good enough. While recruiting, agents and scouts have to select the fiercest of the bunch, those immune from such criticism. That’s part of the package we talked about earlier.

Eccentric Beauty

So, you were the Homecoming Queen three years in a row. Well, you might make it as a model, but don’t expect the modeling world to bow down to your ‘’royalty’’. Modeling agents look for that unconventional and unique characteristic they can use for a certain task. It could be a campaign that requires plus-size models, or a 6’7’’ model. The fact that you are idiosyncratic, and you embrace it could be your career smoking gun.

Communication Skills

This might sound palpable but it’s far from it. Tradeshow modeling is all about communication. The looks and dazzle a model brings comes second to communication. Both verbal and non-verbal communication is important. Non-verbal communication is your body language. Agencies know only too well to judge the ability of a spokesmodel to showcase a client’s products by their communication skills.

Different Way to Hire Models

Tips on Finding and Hiring Models

So, you have a gig or function and you want models to assist you with ensuring everything goes as planned. You have two choices. You can either advertise for the job opportunity or hire an agency to do the work for you. Both of these options have their pros and cons, obviously but in the end, it’s all about ensuring everything goes as planned.

Finding Models Yourself

There are different ways of finding models to assist with your function or event. They include

Through friends

Almost every other DIY project starts with friends; be it moving or painting. Maybe you have friends who know people who could do the job, or if you are lucky to have friends who model. It’s much safer to start with people you know, instead of going by the exercise alone.

Social Media

One of the easiest ways of finding trade show models is through their social media accounts. There are hundreds of Facebook groups you can post your gig on You can even filter your search result by location. If your company has a heavy social media presence, you can advertise for the gig on your own page.

Outdoor advertising

Print posters and stick them up all over town. It’s also effective but tiresome. The advantage of outdoor advertising is that you can pin the posters in designated areas where you are sure of getting exactly what you need.

Or, you can skip all these and hire models through an agency.

Hiring Models through Agencies

If in the event you want to avoid serendipity, or leaving it to fate, you can get professionals to do the work for you. You can then focus on the more important things.

Insider Tips on Hiring Models through an Agency

Do your research

The best modeling agency is not necessarily the one you see on billboards everywhere. Overly-robust, vigorous and elaborate advertising does not necessarily translate to quality service. Take time and review their portfolio and track record. Ask around if necessary. Find a modeling agency with a reputation to uphold.

Cheap is expensive

It’s better you invest in a worthwhile experience. Investing in mediocre and briefcase agencies might cost you in the long run.

Hand-Pick the models

A good modeling agency enables you to choose the models from a group. That way, you are able to vet and know exactly what you want.

Plan in advance

The fact is that plans do get thwarted last minute. It is important not to put all eggs in one basket, have a backup plan in case a model does not show up or you get more guests than you had bargained for. It’s not written in the stars that your event will be a success.

A good modeling agency should anticipate any crunch along the way and provide you with options in case of unforeseen eventualities.

Train the models elaborately

The models you will hire through an agency are professionals but they will need to know your intentions in detail. Take time while going through this process. Ensure they have flawless familiarity with the subject matter of your event. Ensure they know what is required of them. This guarantee the function serves its purpose.

And finally

So, there you have it. Remember, at the end of the day it’s your company’s marketing and advertising structures and strategies that will determine the models you need.

At TSM Agency, we have models for hire and will combine your ideas, strategies and marketing goals with our experience in the industry to come up with a custom and strategic atlas that is specific to your corporate modeling needs.